The HVG is a non-profit research association of the German glass industry with currently 34 member enterprises and 38 affiliated subsidiary plants and enterprises (figures as of July 2020).

The object of HVG is to advance science, environmental control and research in the field of glass as well as related materials (Statutes §2). The association especially focuses on the promotion of efficient and environmentally compatible production of glass. In order to achieve this, HVG carries out investigations relevant to industrial practice and offers services to the glass industry.

HVG was established in 1920 in view of the energy crisis at the end of the First World War. This situation necessitated co-operation of the German enterprises in order to be able to use the few resources available for research work reasonably. Co-operation of enterprises in projects where the actual research work is assigned to a research institute has ever since been characteristic of HVG activities and is the basic idea of industrial collective research (IGF) in Germany.

The research projects are financed by the annual contributions of the members and by public funding of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF).
The R&D topics proposed by the industry are dealt with in many cases exclusively by HVG or in co-operation with partners in the field of glass research such as institutes of universities or of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft..

HVG consultancy and services are focussed on the improvement of the glass melting process and environmentally compatible production of glass. In spite of the small number of altogether only ten engineers and scientists, HVG covers a broad spectrum of activities.

The measuring activities in the glassworks comprise the entire field of the industrial glass production. A focal point is the emission measurements for which the HVG has been acknowledged as an agency for the determination of product specific emissions in the glass industry according to § 26/28 BImSchG for more than 30 years.

The HVG stove periscope for the inspection of the furnace chamber and observations of combustion flames is regularly used in industrial practice. The electrochemical sulphur sensor developed to industrial maturity in several HVG/AiF research projects is increasingly attracting interest.

The HVG - often in co-operation with the DGG - organizes regular events for information and further education. Furthermore, HVG is editor of numerous monographs and periodicals.

The HVG staff is active in the committee work of national and international societies and associations. The workers are frequently the first to be contacted with regard to questions on the topics of environmental control, energy saving and glass technology.